In Nash''s mind, the Pharaoh was definitely not a good person.


    "Look over there! The Yaren women are gathering herbs!"


    They saw the women working hard.


    "The allied forces'' raid destroyed most of the herbs, which are their primary source of ie."


    "Wait..." Felix suddenly rubbed his eyes in disbelief. "Am I seeing things, or is that someone familiar among the Yaren women?"


    Nash immediately recognized Nina in the midst of the women. She had managed to fit in quickly, even chatting happily with them.


    Most of these women hadn''t received any formal education and spoke their native Yarennguage. The younger ones could speak a bit of themonnguage. Nina seemed to be able tomunicate with them quite well.


    Nash nced at Felix. "You''re not seeing things."


    Felix was shocked. "What? Ma''am followed us all the way to the Yaren territory!"


    Nash pressed his lips together and corrected him, "From now on, call her Miss Nina."


    "Understood, Captain," Felix replied.


    Despite his words, Nash added, "The mountain path is rough. We''ll escort them downter."


    "Got it."


    Nina had dug up a herb that, if dried, could fetch a few hundred bucks in their market. However, the price they could get here was much lower, and the herbs were hard to find. She ced the herb in her basket.


    "Nina, hurry up! I''m digging up bamboo shoots! This one is huge and needs some help. If we get it out, I can cook wild boar with bamboo shoots for you tonight!" Arin called out excitedly. Wild boar meat was precious and often preserved like cured meat.


    "Coming!" Nina shook the dirt off her herbs and put them in the basket before heading over to Arin.


    When she reached Arin, she was surprised to see the size of the bamboo shoot.


    "Are all your bamboo shoots this big?" It was as thick as a python.


    "Not all, but this one''s pretty big. Let''s pull it out together!" Arin replied.


    "Why not use the hoe to dig it out?" Nina asked, readying the tool.


    "No, you''ll break the most tender part if you dig too deep," Arin


    exined while loosening the


    around the shoot. "There''s a


    soil


    technique to it."


    "Got it. This one shoot could be a whole meal," Arin said, her eyes shining at the prospect of wild boar.


    Nina followed her lead, and they both pulled together.From N?velDrama.Org.


    "One, two, three!" they counted in unison.


    "One, two, three!" they tried again.


    Nina stood behind Arin, but theirbined strength still wasn''t enough. The shoot was loosening, but it wasn''ting out quickly enough. Determined to speed things up, Nina used all her strength.


    "It''sing out!" Arin cheered.


    But Nina pulled too hard and lost her bnce, falling backward.


    Oh no!


    Suddenly, strong hands caught her around the waist, pulling her, bamboo shoot and all, into a firm embrace.


    She was momentarily stunned and found


    xerself looking into I s expression was ''set


    his gaze was steady and


    strong.


    but


    "You okay?" he asked.


    Nina, flustered, quickly stepped out of his arms. "I''m fine!"


    Nash helped her steady herself, immediately noticing her soaked pant legs. "Your pants are wet."